Officials, airliners meet on problems after Pajhwok report

KABUL (Pajhwok): Following passengers’ complaints about high air ticket price and delayed flights, the Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA) on Wednesday said it was working on a comprehensive plan to resolve the problems.

The ACAA assurance comes the day Pajhwok Afghan News talked to relevant officials about delays in flights and published a report on the issue.

The ACAA statement said some people and government workers had recently complained about delayed flights and high air ticket prices.

Deputy ACAA head Mohammad Qasim Wafayezada met with representatives of Aryana, Kam Air and Safi airways for finding solution to the problem, the statement said.

Delayed flights and sometime their cancellation without informing passengers were among complaints people had registered with the ACAA, the source said.

It quoted Wafayezada as saying that any type of increase in ticket prices from the rates fixed by the ACAA would be seriously investigated and violators would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

He said airlines should present their plans as soon as possible about ticket prices in consideration with people’s and companies’ economic situation. However, the statement did not provide details about the increase in air ticket prices.

The statement said Khalilullah Abavi, head of the law and international treaties of the ACAA, urged airline companies in a meeting to adjust their services in accordance with the codes of conduct for services of the authority.

The airlines promised to present their plans about joint and individual flights with ACAA within a week, the source said.

Airlines officials also requested the ACAA to control the quality of fuel, implementation of fixed-rates and procedures of the authority on both domestic and foreign companies in Afghanistan, the statement said.